Action plans are part of your sobriety toolbox particularly in the early days of achieving sobriety or after a slip. An action plan is simply a list of activities or actions that I decide ahead of time that will be healthy and safe for me to do, and conversely, a list of activities or actions that I should stay away from.
Action Plans are recommended for anytime that you will be alone or unsupervised. That will create a trigger of opportunity that can be quite strong. Coming up with your action plan and communicating it with your sponsor or others in the fellowship ahead of time can be a great way of staying safe and sober. Notifying your sponsor (or anyone) at the start and end of a period of risk or alone time is called “bookending“. You are putting a bookend at the start and inviting someone to ask you about that time when you close it with the other bookend.
Why do I need an Action Plan?
Experience has taught me that it is WAY easier to follow a pre-made decision or schedule than to try to make a good decision after I’m already triggered. If I wait until I’m already knee-deep in the swamp, I will likely just plunge in. If I stay completely clear of it, I usually do better in avoiding the muck and slime.
Some Action Plan Suggestions
For the healthy side of things, some ideas are:
- Reading (recovery or not)
- Journaling or Step Work
- Listening to music
- Watching TV (But be careful. Keep it to sports, documentaries, or science channels)
- Household chores or projects
- Work in the garage
- Text or call brothers in the fellowship
Some things to avoid might be:
- Surfing on the internet
- Playing games on your computer (which leads to surfing, which leads to…)
- Watching racy TV or movies (just call R or greater movies off limits)
- Trolling social media to see who is online or to try to start a conversation
My favorite healthy choice on an evening I will be alone is to plan to read a book on my current reading list and put on some music. It is very relaxing, helps me de-stress, and keeps me away from distractions. I feel more productive and slightly proud of myself that I didn’t squander my time with useless entertainment or cultural bombardment via 87 annoying commercials.